SPECIMEN

• Types of specimen

  • Blood
  • Urine
  • Saliva
  • Sputum
  • Feces
  • Semen
  • Other bodily fluids and tissues
• Samples collected from the human body

  • Most often a blood sample
  • Samples of urine, saliva, sputum, feces, semen, and other bodily fluids and tissues can also be tested
  • Some samples can be obtained as the body naturally eliminates them
  • Others are quick and easy to acquire because they reside in the body's orifices
  • Some require minor surgery and anesthesia to obtain
• Some tests can be performed on more than one type of sample
• Glucose testing


  • Can be performed on both blood and urine samples
  • Blood glucose test is used to help diagnose diabetes and monitor blood glucose levels
  • Urine glucose is one of the substances tested in a urinalysis when a urinary tract infection or kidney disorder is suspected
• There are options for the type of sample for some tests, such as HIV antibody testing (blood, urine, and oral fluid screening tests are available), while in other situations one particular type of sample is required
• Samples naturally eliminated from the body

  • Urine
  • Feces
  • Sputum
  • Semen
• Collecting naturally eliminated samples

  • May require assistance for young children or patients with physical limitations
  • Usually painless but can be awkward and unpleasant as they involve elimination of bodily wastes and private body parts and functions
• Semen sample collection


  • Male patients ejaculate into a specimen container
  • Requires 2-5 days of abstinence before the test
  • Timed collection from start to delivery to the laboratory
  • Avoid using condoms, lubricants or other potentially contaminating materials
• Reasons for a semen analysis

  • To test male infertility in couples who are unable to conceive
  • To confirm the success of a vasectomy by checking for sperm in semen
• Semen analysis procedure


  1. Abstain from sex and masturbation for 2 to 5 days before the test

  2. Avoid consumption of alcohol, caffeine, and drugs for 2 to 5 days before the test

  3. Avoid taking herbal supplements or hormone medications

  4. Do not use any lubricant while taking the sample
• Sputum sample collection


  • Patients are instructed to cough up sputum from as far down in the lungs as possible
  • Best accomplished first thing in the morning before eating or drinking, by taking several deep breaths before expectorating into the collection cup
  • Sputum should be relatively thick and not as watery as seen when producing saliva
• Sputum tests


  • Acid Fast Baccilli Smear (AFB Smear)
  • Culture and Sensitivity
• Indication of AFB test

  • To detect mycobacterial infection
  • To diagnose TB (Mycobacterium tuberculosis)
  • Monitor effectiveness of treatment
• Stool sample collection


  • Patients usually collect this sample themselves during toileting
  • Avoid contamination of the specimen from other material in the toilet bowl
  • Patients may also be told to avoid certain foods during the test period
  • Depending on the test, patients may be instructed to collect the sample in a container, scoop a small portion into a vial, or smear a small amount on special test paper
• Urine sample collection


  • Most urine specimens are collected by having the patient urinate into a container or receptacle
  • No special preparation required
  • Avoid taking Vitamin C prior to test
  • To keep the sample from becoming contaminated by materials outside the urinary tract, patients are given instructions on how to clean the genital area and void a bit of urine before collecting the specimen into the container
  • For certain tests, 24-hour urine samples are collected at home and must be refrigerated during the collection process
  • Remember to wash hands well after collecting the specimen
• Types of urine specimens

  • Random
  • First morning
  • Orthostatic proteinuria
  • Midstream clean catch
  • Catheterized
  • 24-Hour (timed)
  • Drug screening
• Saliva sample collection


  May be collected using a swab or, if a larger volume is needed for testing, patients may be instructed to expectorate into a container without generating sputum
• Sweat sample collection


  • Collected using a special sweat stimulation procedure that is painless and allows sweat to be collected into a plastic coil of tubing or onto a piece of gauze or filter paper
  • Analyzed for the amount of chloride in the sweat, elevated levels of which suggest a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis
• Samples that are easy to obtain

  • Throat
  • Nasal
  • Vaginal
  • Superficial wound cultures
• Secretions and tissues from the female reproductive system

  • Samples of vaginal secretions are obtained by running a cotton swab over the walls of the vagina
  • Cervical cells for a Pap test are obtained using a cotton swab and spatula or a tiny brush
  • Endometrial tissue samples are obtained by inserting a thin, flexible, hollow tube into the uterus, during which you may feel a slight pinch or brief cramping
• Secretions and fluids from the nose or throat

  • The specimen is collected by running a swab over the area of interest and processed for testing, such as cultures
  • People typically respond to swabbing of their throat with a momentary "gag" reflex
  • Similarly, a nasal swab may be a bit uncomfortable as the swab is inserted and reaches areas inside the nose that are typically never touched
• Samples from open wounds and sores

  • If a wound or sore is located in the outer layer of skin, the specimen is typically collected on a swab by brushing the swab over the area and gathering a sample of fluid or pus
  • If a wound or infection is deep, however, a needle and syringe may be used to aspirate a sample of fluid or pus from the site
• Other samples


  • Hair samples (nicotine/cotinine test, heavy metals testing, fungal tests, testing for drugs of abuse)
  • Fingernail clippings (heavy metals testing, fungal tests)
• Samples from within the body

  • Blood specimens are obtained in minimally invasive procedures conducted by specially trained physicians, nurses, or medical personnel
  • Collection of tissue specimens is a more complex process and may require a local anesthetic in order to obtain a specimen
• Types of blood samples

  • Venipuncture (obtaining deoxygenated blood from the veins)
  • Arterial puncture (obtaining oxygenated blood from the arteries)
  • Capillary puncture (obtaining blood from capillaries)
• Venous blood


  • Transports blood from various regions of the body to the heart
  • A blood vessel that carries blood that is low in oxygen content from the body back to the heart
  • Deoxygenated form of hemoglobin (deoxy-hemoglobin) in venous blood makes it appear dark
• Sites for venipuncture


  • Antecubital fossa (most common site)
  • Median Cubital Vein (most preferred and easy to palpate in normal adults)
  • Cephalic vein (2nd choice, usually the vein of choice for obese patients)
  • Basilic vein (3rd and last choice)
• Venipuncture procedure


  1. Wear personal protective equipment

  2. Ask the patient's identification

  3. Prepare the equipment

  4. Select a puncture site

  5. Apply tourniquet

  6. Disinfect the puncture site

  7. Palpate the vein

  8. Insert the needle, bevel up, 15-30 degrees

  9. Slowly pull the plunger and extract the desired amount of blood

  10. Release the tourniquet

  11. Withdraw the needle in one swift motion

  12. Place a sterile clean, dry gauze or cotton over the puncture site and seal it using a micropore

  13. Apply pressure on the puncture site
• Never perform venipuncture on scarred and inflamed skin, arms containing IV fluids, edematous arms, arterial puncture, side with precautions, side where operation done (in breast cancer patients), or fistula
• Troubleshooting incomplete collection or no blood obtained

  1. Change the position of the needle (move it forward or backward)

  2. Adjust the angle (the bevel may be against the vein wall)

  3. Loosen the tourniquet

  4. Re-anchor the vein

  5. If a hematoma forms, release the tourniquet immediately and withdraw the needle, apply firm pressure

  6. If the blood is bright red (arterial) rather than venous, apply firm pressure for more than 5 minutes
• Tissue biopsy


  • Samples of tissue may be obtained from a number of different body sites
  • Can be collected using procedures such as needle biopsy, excisional biopsy, or closed biopsy
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample collection

  • CSF is a fluid circulating around the central nervous system, not an ultrafiltrate of plasma
  • A sample is obtained by lumbar puncture, often called a spinal tap
  • Performed while the person is lying on their side in a curled up, fetal position or sometimes in a sitting position
  • The back is cleaned with an antiseptic and a local anesthetic is injected under the skin
  • A special needle is inserted through the skin, between two vertebrae, and into the spinal canal
• Collection of other body fluids

  • Synovial fluid, peritoneal fluid, pleural fluid, and pericardial fluid are collected using procedures similar to that used for CSF, requiring aspiration of a sample of the fluid through a needle into a collection vessel
  • Synovial fluid is collected by needle aspiration called arthrocentesis
  • Serous fluids are collected by procedures referred to as thoracentesis (pleural), pericardiocentesis (pericardial), and paracentesis (peritoneal)
• Bone marrow sample collection

  • The bone marrow aspiration and/or biopsy procedure is performed by a trained healthcare specialist
  • Samples are most often collected from the hip bone (iliac crest), and in some instances from the breastbone (sternum)
  • For a bone marrow biopsy, a special needle is used to collect a core (a cylindrical sample) of bone and marrow
• Amniotic fluid sample collection

  • Obtained using a procedure called amniocentesis to detect and diagnose certain birth defects, genetic diseases, and chromosomal abnormalities in a fetus
  • Amniotic fluid surrounds, protects, and nourishes a growing fetus during pregnancy
  • A sample (about 1 ounce) of amniotic fluid is aspirated by inserting a thin needle through the belly and uterus into the amniotic sac, collecting both cellular and chemical constituents that are analyzed